Major Setback for Horst Heese as Chetcuti is out with hamstring injury

Malta Independent Sunday, 27 March 2005, 00:00 Last update: about 12 years ago

National coaches Horst Heese and Mark Miller yesterday announced their squads of players making the trip to Croatia early tomorrow morning.

Heese received a major setback as Sliema's experienced defender Jeffrey Chetcuti had to withdraw from the group after suffering a hamstring injury.

Also out of the squad are Jamie Pace of Marsaxlokk and Steve Wellman of Floriana while Joe Brincat and Roderick Briffa had withdrawn earlier due to injury.

Miller will also have to do without goalkeeper Andrew Hogg of Pieta, Floriana's Mauro Brincat and Hibernians' Clayton Failla.

Neither of the two coaches was yet in a position to announce their starting formation so early. In fact, they are only expected to name their line-ups on the day of their matches, that is Miller on Tuesday and Heese on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Heese's assistant coach Carmel Busuttil is already in Zagreb. Yesterday he was spying on the home side in their match against Iceland. He is expected to meet the Maltese 'foreigners' Michael Mifsud and Luke Dimech today. They will all join the senior squad at the hotel in Zagreb tomorrow morning.

Squads

Seniors

Goalkeepers: Saviour Darmanin and Justin Haber (both Birkirkara).

Defenders: Ian Azzopardi (Floriana), Luke Dimech (Mansfield T, England), Rene Forace (Valletta), Adrian Pulis (Hibernians), Brian Said (Sliema W.).

Midfielders: Gilbert Agius (Valletta), Stefan Giglio (Sliema W.), Massimo Grima (Valletta), George Mallia (Birkirkara), Claude Mattocks (Sliema W.), Peter Pullicino (Hibernians), Kevin Sammut (Msida St Joseph) and Ivan Woods (Sliema W.).

Strikers: Etienne Barbara (Birkirkara), Andrew Cohen (Hibernians), Michael Mifsud (Lillestrom, Norway).

Under 21

Goalkeepers: Bernard Paris (Birkirkara), Reuben Gauci (Floriana).

Defenders: David Camenzuli (Pieta H.), Josef Mifsud (Msida SJ), Ryan Mintoff (Hibernians), Alex Muscat (Sliema W.), Shaun Tellus (Marsaxlokk).

Midfielders: Andrei Agius (Sporting Mascalucia), Roderick Bajada (Msida SJ), Sean Bajada (Marsaxlokk), Christian Cassar (Floriana), Dyson Falzon (Mosta), Paul Fenech (Msida SJ), Cleaven Frendo (Marsaxlokk), Gareth Sciberras (Pieta).

Strikers: Trevor Cilia (Floriana), Terence Scerri (Hibernians), Andre Schembri (Marsaxlokk).